Never Mind Pop Film

Stories are odd things. They take on personalities of their own, they leave loose ends, they make profound connections. Screenwriter Marty (Colin Farrell) is not writing one of those stories. Even with the prompting of his best friend (Sam Rockwell) writer's block has kept his slate empty. With his slate empty, he's taken to the bottle and arguing with his girlfriend.

Fortunately, reality always proves to be more appealing than fiction and with a masked murderer gunning down made men in the streets of Los Angeles, this string of murders prove to be just the inspiration that Marty needs. His screenplay featuring a murderous Amish man, a very angry Vietnamese priest and a serial killing couple who only kill serial killers practically writes itself.

Billy and Hans (beloved oddball Christopher Walken) have found their own way to make a living. By stealing dogs and then returning them back for reward money, Billy and Hans have quite a sweet gig. The only problem with all of this i…

Such eccentricities, such violence, such a twisted sense of humor. Gotta love Martin McDonagh. This time Colin Farrell plays a screenwriter who, with a little help from his friends, finds himself entangled in the criminal underworld thanks to a dog. Yeah, it's from the guy who made In Bruges, go figure.

There’s always something worth watching in a character, whom in his means of turning to good only succeeds in making things far worse than ever imagined. Like The Dark Knight and Spider-man 2 the plight of Iron Man 2 is escalation. In the six months following the aftermath of Tony Stark's (Robert Downey Jr.) revelation that he is Iron Man, there is an unprecedented peace across the planet. With a nuclear deterrent ready to go at a minute's notice the Stark legacy may finally be remembered for peace and, with the resurrection of Stark Expo, a better planet.
Legacy is an important part of any man's life in Tony's case - as a former arms dealer - it is especially important. Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke) provides an unique take on a villain that is essentially a mirror of Tony. Both men had fathers who were pioneers of science, unfortunately, only Tony used his gift for good. Sons have always been burdened with the task of becoming more than their fathers, when you're fa…

What do you get when you mix a great cast with a poor writer and a director with a tired schtick?

You get Gentlemen Broncos!

Jared Hess was supposed to do a Q&A after the screening I attended, but he didn't come out. He was probably too embarrassed to show up. His comedic direction was very lacklustre. It's a common criticism of his work, but Hess has to learn that you can't base a comedy around laughing at ugly people and people with abnormal voices.

The writing wasn't up to scratch either. It did take the film into some unique and novel directions while exposing the sci-fi world of the protagonist's novel (these interludes were the best part of the film). However, these sci-fi scenes didn't move along the main plot; they were just goofy skits meant only to provide comic relief. This is no way to write a screenplay for a motion picture. Every scene, cut, line and hand gesture must either provide characterization or further the plot.

The script as a whole …

In the future, space stations can be operated and maintained by one man. There are not many accommodations for said employee though, "human" comforts consist of video chats and a small robot named GERTY. The station is largely self-sufficient, but an engineer must remain there for repairs. Sam Bell (Sam Rockwell) is finishing out the remainder of his contract with the company that mines helium from surface rocks on the Moon.

Dealing with the mind-bending isolation of being alone on the moon is taking its toll on Sam. Sam's wife and daughter wait for him at home on Earth, although as Sam's time on the Moon stretches he begins to believe someone lurks waiting to replace him there too. His short time away from home in nearing an end and he finds that a welcome relief. An unexpected visitor arrives at the station looks to change that. There really isn't a lot that can be said about the plot without spoiling the entire thing, so I will have to leave you in the dark.

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